Crash has volleyball teams digging deep

May 9, 2008|By SHARON ROBB STAFF WRITER

PARKLAND — From the Fort Lauderdale beach courts to the high school and club gyms, the tight-knit volleyball community has rallied around Nick Williams.

The star player for Cardinal Gibbons would be playing today with his teammates in the FHSAA state boys' volleyball finals at Douglas High had it not been for a single-car accident early Sunday morning.

The 16-year-old junior outside hitter remains in a coma with multiple injuries in the intensive care unit of North Broward Medical Center. His teammates and coaches remain relentless in their pursuit to win a state title for him.

"This team has great resilience," said the Chiefs' 6-foot-9 blocker, Josh Nirenberg, who writes in black magic marker "W 4 N" (Win For Nick) on his forearm before he plays. "We play relentlessly. We show no quit. We are playing on emotion. Every time we win it means the most because we are going out there and playing and trying to win for Nick."

No one is more aware of that endless emotion than Spanish River veteran coach Lori Eaton, whose young team (25-3) will play the Chiefs (27-1), undefeated against Florida teams this season.

"It's sad what Gibbons is going through," Eaton said. "The kids all know each other through club volleyball. We collected for him at our play-in game Tuesday night and we are sending it to the family.

"We want to play them [with Nick] in there. Volleyball is so different than all the other sports. We are not going in there gung-ho to beat them because they are a man down. We want to play them at their peak with all their big guns."

Eaton and her players started a collection for Williams and his family to help defray medical and physical therapy costs before Tuesday night's play-in game against Douglas. Cooper City (17-2) and Jupiter (24-3), both making their state meet debuts, are also rallying around the fallen hero with similar collections and lots of prayers, their coaches said.

"When something like this happens you feel for the team and feel for the player," Eaton said. "It's hard to play someone that the boys all know. I know it will affect the team. It's emotional as well as physical, and it's tough to compete against that. Volleyball is a mental game anyway, and emotion always has some kind of play in there.

"We are going into the game playing hard, but it will be an emotional thing in the back of our players' minds and they will be thinking about it."

While Chiefs coach Marcy Meyer is trying to keep it "as normal as possible," she said she is proud the way her players have handled adversity both on and off the court.

"This all evolves around volleyball, and we are proving that it is more than just the game of volleyball and the love of the game," Meyer said. "It is the heart and bond that they have formed. It becomes more than the game. All we can do as coaches is prepare them and hope they get stronger. Every one of these kids is stronger right now."

Like he did for Tuesday's game, Chiefs captain and Williams' best friend Austin Belt plans on wearing Williams' jersey beneath his own.

The team got more encouraging news on Thursday. Williams remains in a coma but has a response rate of 95 percent, is almost off the respirator and slept well through the night.

"The doctors say he will wake up on his own, they don't want to push him," Meyer said. "Whatever Nick is doing he seems to understand what is going on.

"If you consider the trauma this kid has gone through it's not out of the reality that he is aware of what is going on."

Douglas host coach Deana Newman and Linda Heneks are organizing a May 26 Memorial Day Volleyball Tournament and fundraiser at the Eagles' gym. For more information go to www.floridavolleyball.com.

A trust fund has also been set up for Williams through Bank of Florida. Those interested in donating should contact Susan Belt at ajbelt@aol.com